Yes, Snickers Has a New Almond Butter Candy Bar—But Is It Healthy?

Usually, the news of brand new candy bars isn't something we're interested in covering—but my ears perked right up this week when I heard that Snickers released a brand new flavor involving almond butter. You may have had a Snickers bar with a crunchy interior full of nuts, but the tastemakers at Mars Wrigley have launched three new varieties with "creamy" interiors. The choice of almond butter, which is known for its health halo, made me wonder—did Snickers actually make a better-for-you bar that could be considered healthy?

And what about those with severe peanut allergies—could this candy bar be allergen-friendly?

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I asked the Snickers team to send me samples of their new bars to find out. And while, yes, the first ingredient on two of these bars (another is made with peanut butter) is actually almond butter… that's pretty much where the joy and excitement stops.

All three of the new flavors—Almond Butter, Peanut Butter, and Maple Almond Butter—contain warnings on their labels advising that the product "may" contain peanuts, other tree nuts, and eggs. Other ingredients also include soy and milk, so it's safe to say that these bars aren't really that much different from a standard Snickers. And they are decidedly not an allergy-friendly alternative.

We also took a look at the nutrition information, and while the use of almond butter is certainly admirable, you'll find that Snickers' newest bars are not a healthy option by any means. A standard Snickers bar contains upwards of 280 calories and 14g of fat—the new flavors clock in 400 calories for an entire bar (broken up into four pieces), plus a whopping 24g of fat (10 of which is saturated, about half of your recommended daily serving), and 36g of sugar.

All that being said, the bar is a perfect marriage between the classic flavors of a Snickers treat and a peanut butter cup (read: it’s delicious). But you'd be better off whipping up a batch of our 100-calorie chocolate peanut butter cups in your kitchen and swapping in almond butter, if you're so inclined.